This invention relates to an electronic weigher, particularly an electronic weigher for storing commodity data such as unit price and tare and for displaying and/or printing out the commodity data by calling the data through operation of preset keys.
In general, an electronic weigher is adapted to store commodity data entered beforehand by numeric keys or the like, which data include the unit price and tare of a variety of commodities. When a weighing operation is performed, the operator enters a call number in response to which the electronic weigher calls the necessary data from among the stored data and displays the unit price, total price, etc., together with the weight of the particular commodity, on a display unit of the electronic weigher. Many electronic weighers are provided with a printer for issuing a label on which such data as the commodity name and the date are printed in addition to the aforementioned commodity data.
Electronic weighers of the above-described type are provided with a control panel having numeric keys for entering the aforementioned commodity data, and various function keys for registering and calling the commodity data. In the conventional electronic weighers of this kind, a call number consisting of a plurality of digits is substituted for each item of commodity data such as the commodity name or unit price. The call number then is entered by the numeric keys on the control panel and a function key is pressed to register or call the relevant item of commodity data. The operator must therefore go to the trouble of memorizing the call number for each commodity name or the like or of consulting a table each time. In addition, to call even one item of commodity data, the operator must press a key or keys a number of times which is at least equivalent to the number of digits in the call number.
In an attempt to solve the foregoing problem, the control panels of some electronic weighers come equipped with so-called "preset" keys, on each of which the name of the commodity is written, in addition to the numeric keys and function keys. This enables an item of commodity data to be called by operating the corresponding preset key instead of entering the call number through use of the numeric keys. This arrangement eliminates the bother of memorizing the call numbers or of referring to a table and greatly facilitates operation by reducing the number of times keys must be pressed. On the other hand, a large number of preset keys must be provided in order to deal with a large number of commodities. This results in a control panel of larger size and, hence, in a larger electronic weigher. Moreover, in cases where the commodities dealt with are comparatively few in number, no particular inconvenience is encountered in keying in the call number each time as in the conventional manner. In such case the preset keys are unnecessary.